Mandatory inspections for the building's owners' association and residential buildings

For a detached house, one person oversees the inspection. For an apartment block, it is different: the building's owners' association committee (or appointed manager) is responsible for common areas serving dozens, sometimes hundreds of units, and there are many more inspections to coordinate. On top of that, a missed deadline affects not just one household but all owners at once.

The difference compared to a detached house lies not only in the number of inspections but also in who bears responsibility for them. For a detached house, the owner handles the inspection themselves; for an SVJ, the committee acts on behalf of the entire community, and any neglect affects all unit owners, not just the one who forgot to order the inspection.

Chimneys in common areas

If the building has a shared chimney or chimneys connected to the boiler room, the same rules apply as for a detached house: Decree No. 34/2016 Coll. Requires an annual inspection by a chimney sweep; for solid fuels, cleaning is additionally required three times a year; for gas fuels, cleaning and inspection are required once a year. Ensure the inspection is recorded in the report, this document will be requested by the insurer in the event of any damage related to fire or smoke. Details are available on the page chimney sweep inspections.

Fire extinguishers in common areas

Fire extinguishers in corridors, boiler rooms or garages are subject to Decree No. 246/2001 Coll.: operational check once a year, periodic test according to type every three or five years. In a residential building there are often several units at once, so it pays to have one supplier and one date for all, this saves time and money. More on the page fire extinguisher inspection.

Lifts, electrical and gas installations: reserved technical equipment

Lifts, electrical installations in common areas and the building's gas equipment are classified as reserved technical devices. Their operation is governed by Act No. 250/2021 Coll., on safety at work in connection with the operation of reserved technical devices, however, specific deadlines and the scope of inspections are set out only in implementing regulations according to the type of device and the environment in which it is operated. Therefore, practice varies from building to building in these areas, and the most reliable approach is to have a service contract with a company that monitors deadlines itself and maintains records in the inspection logbook. You can find an overview on the website elevator inspections, electrical inspection and inspection of gas installationsIn practice, it is advisable to have one service organisation with a long-term contract for each such device, frequent changes of suppliers complicate the continuity of the inspection log and increase the risk that some deadline will be lost during the handover of responsibilities.

Planning calendar for the committee

A practical approach that works for committees is simple: once a year (typically in spring, before the heating season), review the building's inspection log and check what is valid until when. Chimneys and fire extinguishers fall into the annual cycle automatically. For lifts, electrical systems and gas, it is sufficient to ensure the service company adheres to its own schedule and that inspection reports are actually received and filed: not only when requested by an insurer or inspectorate. It pays to have one folder (physical or shared) containing all valid reports, accessible to the entire committee, not just one member.

It is also good practice to inform unit owners once a year, either at a meeting or in the minutes, which inspections have been carried out and which are due, transparency reduces the risk of disputes over whether the committee is fulfilling its duties properly and facilitates the handover of responsibilities to a new committee if there is a change.